Three dimensional image display apparatus

Abstract

A 3-D image display including an image forming unit for forming an image by modulating light according to image information is provided. The 3-D image display includes a display device with a plurality of first regions for forming a left eye image and a plurality of second regions for forming a right eye image in a 3-D image mode. The 3-D image display also includes a viewpoint controller with first and second reflection mirror devices for reflecting light of a left eye image and light of a right eye image input from the image forming unit to first and second viewpoints when displaying a 3-D image. The locations of the first and second viewpoints may be changed by controlling an angle of reflection surfaces of the first and second reflection mirror devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A 3-D image display apparatus comprising:
 an image forming unit comprising a display device that includes a plurality of first regions for forming a first image and a plurality of second regions for forming a second image; and 
 a viewpoint controller comprising first and second reflection mirror devices for reflecting light of the first image to a first viewpoint and light of the second image to a second viewpoint, and for changing locations of the first and second viewpoints by controlling an angle of reflection surfaces of the first and second reflection mirror devices, 
 wherein the first image and the second image are formed according to image information. 
 
     
     
       2. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, to separate the light of the first image and the light of the second image formed by the display device and to collect the separated first and second lights at the first and second viewpoints in a 3-D image mode,
 the number of the first reflection mirror devices corresponds to the number of the first regions, and the angle of each reflection surface of the first reflection mirror devices is set to reflect the light of the first image from the first regions to collect the light of the first image at the first viewpoint, 
 the number of the second reflection mirror devices corresponds to the number of the second regions, and the angle of each reflection surface of the first reflection mirror devices is set to reflect the light of the second image from the second regions to collect the light of the second image at the second viewpoint, and 
 the angles of the reflection surfaces of the first and second reflection mirror devices are controlled to change the locations of the first and second viewpoints at least twice so that a 3-D image is formed at a plurality of viewpoints. 
 
     
     
       3. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the reflection surfaces of the first and second reflection mirror devices are controllable to switch between a 2-D image mode and the 3-D image mode, and in the 2-D image mode the reflection surfaces of the first and second reflection mirror devices are fixed at substantially the same angle. 
     
     
       4. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein at least two of each of the first and second reflection mirror devices are controlled to have different angles. 
     
     
       5. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein, when the locations of the first and second viewpoints are changed to any of other locations, the angle of each of the reflection surfaces of the first and second reflection mirror devices is changed by substantially the same degree. 
     
     
       6. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the reflection surfaces of the first and second reflection mirror devices are controllable to switch between the 2-D image mode and the 3-D image mode, and in the 2-D image mode the reflection surfaces of the first and second reflection mirror devices are fixed at substantially the same angle. 
     
     
       7. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the image forming unit further comprises a lens array unit for separating the light of the first image and the light of the second image and for collecting the separated first and second lights at the first and second viewpoints in a 3-D image mode,
 the first and second reflection mirror devices reflect the light of the first image and the light of the second image, separated by the lens array unit, toward the first and second viewpoints in the 3-D image mode, and 
 the locations of the first and second viewpoints are changed at least twice by controlling the angle of each of the reflection surfaces of the first and second reflection mirror devices, to form a 3-D image at a plurality of viewpoints. 
 
     
     
       8. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second reflection mirror devices comprises a single reflection mirror device or a plurality of reflection mirror devices in a 2-D array, and when the locations of the first and second viewpoints are changed to any of other locations, the angle of each of the reflection surfaces of the first and second reflection mirror devices is changed by substantially the same degree. 
     
     
       9. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the lens array unit is an active type lens array unit that separates the first image and the second image in the 3-D image mode, but does not operate as a lens in a 2-D image mode, and is controllable to switch between the 2-D image mode and the 3-D image mode. 
     
     
       10. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second reflection mirror devices each control the angles of the reflection surfaces in an analog manner. 
     
     
       11. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first regions for forming the first image and the second regions for forming the second image are alternately arranged, and the first and second reflection mirror devices are alternately arranged to correspond to the first and second regions. 
     
     
       12. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first regions are located at one side of the display device, the second regions are located at another side of the display device, and the first and second reflection mirror devices are arranged to correspond to the first and second regions. 
     
     
       13. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second reflection mirror devices each control the angles of the reflection surfaces in an analog manner. 
     
     
       14. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the image forming unit further comprises a surface light source, and the display device of the image forming unit comprises a flat type display device that modulates light emitted by the surface light source according to the image information. 
     
     
       15. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the display device comprises a reflection mirror type display panel. 
     
     
       16. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the reflection mirror type display panel forms the first image and the second image by changing an angle of a reflection surface of a reflection mirror corresponding to the first and second regions. 
     
     
       17. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein
 the reflection type display panel comprises a first reflection mirror type display panel that includes the first regions and a second reflection mirror type display panel that includes the second regions, wherein the second reflection mirror type display panel is separated from the first reflection mirror type display panel, 
 the first reflection mirror device reflects the light of the first image incident thereon from the first reflection mirror type display panel, to collect the light of the first image at the first viewpoint, and 
 the second reflection mirror device reflects the light of the second image incident thereon from the second reflection mirror type display panel, to collect the light of the second image at the second viewpoint. 
 
     
     
       18. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein
 the reflection mirror type display panel comprises a single panel that includes the first and second regions to emit the light of the first image and the light of the second image toward the first and second reflection mirror devices, wherein the light of the first image and the light of the second image are separated from each other, 
 the first reflection mirror device reflects the light of the first image from the reflection mirror type display panel to collect the light of the first image at the first viewpoint, and 
 the second reflection mirror device reflects the light of the second image from the reflection mirror type display panel to collect the light of the second image at the second viewpoint. 
 
     
     
       19. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the reflection mirror type display panel comprises a single panel in which the first and second regions are alternately arranged to emit the light of the first image and the light of the second image toward the first and second reflection mirror devices,
 the first and second reflection devices comprise single panels that are alternately arranged, such that each of the single panels of the first and second reflection devices corresponds to one of the single panels of the reflection mirror type display panel, 
 the first reflection mirror device reflects the light of the first image from the reflection mirror type display panel to collect the light of the first image at the first viewpoint, and 
 the second reflection mirror device reflects the light of the second image from the reflection mirror type display panel to collect the light of the second image at the second viewpoint. 
 
     
     
       20. The 3-D image display apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the display device comprises a reflection mirror type display panel,
 the reflection mirror type display panel forms the first image and the second image by changing an angle of a reflection surface of a reflection mirror corresponding to the first and second regions, 
 the first and second reflection mirror devices are separated from each other, 
 the reflection mirror type display panel comprises a single panel in which the first and second regions are alternately arranged, or comprises a structure in which a panel that includes the first regions is separated from a panel that includes the second regions, and emits the light of the first image and the light of the second image toward the first and second reflection mirror devices, 
 a first lens for collecting the light of the first image is disposed between the reflection mirror type display panel and the first reflection mirror device, 
 a second lens for collecting the light of the second image is disposed between the reflection mirror type display panel and the second reflection mirror device, 
 the first reflection mirror device reflects the light of the first image collected by the first lens toward the first viewpoint, 
 the second reflection mirror device reflects the light of the second image collected by the second lens toward the second viewpoint, and 
 the first and second reflection mirror devices change the locations of the first and second viewpoints at least twice by controlling the angle of reflection surfaces of the first and second reflection mirror devices, to form a 3-D image at a plurality of viewpoints. 
 
     
     
       21. A method of displaying a 3-D image or a 2-D image, the method comprising:
 forming a first image and a second image according to image information, 
 emitting light of the first image to one or more first reflecting devices, 
 emitting light of the second image to one or more second reflecting devices, 
 reflecting the light of the first image in a first emission direction, and 
 reflecting the light of the second image in a second emission direction, 
 wherein the first emission direction and the second emission direction are selectively controlled to provide a 3-D image or a 2-D image for at least one user. 
 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the 3-D image is provided when the first image emission direction is directed to a first left eye location of the at least one user and the second image emission direction is directed to a first right eye location of the at least one user. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , wherein another 3-D image is provided when the first image emission direction is directed to a second left eye location of another at least one user and the second image emission direction is directed to a second right eye location of the another at least one user. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the 2-D image is provided when the first emission direction is substantially parallel to the second image direction.